The media is abuzz with reports of Kerala batter Sanju Samson ‘requesting’ his Indian Premier League (IPL) side Rajasthan Royals (RR) to relieve him of his duties.
Though there has been no official confirmation yet, ESPNcricinfo writes that the franchise’s lead owner Manoj Badale will decide on Samson’s future after taking head coach Rahul Dravid into confidence.
Now, if at all Samson, who was appointed the skipper in 2021, is allowed to seek ‘greener pastures’, will RR repose their faith in Assam all-rounder Riyan Parag?
Samson’s captaincy stint in the 2025 season was stymied by injuries that paved the way for Parag at the helm – at 23, he became the youngest to lead RR and the fifth in the list of IPL history among all sides.
Samson’s indisposition was a blessing in disguise for Parag, who led the Royals in eight matches, including the first three, which featured Samson as just an impact player.
However, Parag’s efforts as a skipper were a damp squib, with only two wins with a winning percentage of 25.
But it would be unfair to chastise the young guy whose stint as captain was that of an interim one, as he was replaced with Samson not once but twice during the course of the tournament.
Parag was deprived of a prolonged run, which did have repercussions not just on him but the entire team, with the Dravid-coached side ending up 9th on the points table with four wins in 14 encounters.
The reported tiff between Samson and the team management did create tense moments in the dressing room and it did pulverise the team’s morale.
RR’s romance with the 2025 season was marred by too many unforeseen circumstances that certainly vitiated the ambience. Crucial players benched due to injuries were also an impeding factor.
But the silver lining for Parag was his franchise’s preference for him over bigger names like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel in Samson’s absence.
Parag, who was part of the 2018 Under-19 World Cup-winning squad, was bought by the Royals for Rs 20 lakh for the 2019 season. Despite his dismal outings in the first five seasons, RR never discarded him, buying him for Rs 3.8 crore ahead of the 2022 season.
An ordinary 2023 IPL didn’t count him out and Parag finally hit the purple patch in 2024, amassing 573 runs (highest among his teammates) with four fifties.
Parag was retained by RR for a whopping Rs 14 crore at the Mega Auction before the 2025 season.
Captaincy was not a burden on him as he finished the season with 393 runs at a strike rate of 166.52. He even earned the distinction of being the first batter to hit six successive sixes at the IPL – a feat he achieved against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Eden Gardens.
The idea behind placing these facts is to drive home the point that RR holds Parag in the highest esteem, not just as a player but as a leader as well.
In fact, experts and former players do foresee an accomplished leader in Parag who has represented India in 1 ODI and 9T20Is.
There are examples galore of young captains excelling at the cash-rich tournament and later going on to lead the country – Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya and Shubman Gill to mention a few.
Parag is only 23 and has age and time by his side. Critics pounce on his vagary, which has caused him dear over the years. He has also been panned across the board over his family lineage, earning him the sobriquet – Nepo Kid.
Parag’s uncle, Ranjit Barthakur, is the Executive Chairman of RR, wielding unbridled clout within the team. Parag’s repeated retentions despite not really setting the house on fire and his subsequent selection as skipper over an international regular Jaiswal have been attributed to the former’s genealogy.
But let’s not scotch the logic behind picking Parag over Jaiswal as the captain. The Assam-born batter had left the Mumbai opener behind in the 2014 season in terms of runs – perhaps the enticing factor for the team management.
Samson himself endorsed the team’s move, backing Parag to lead from the front.
But stories of favoritism are not a newbie in Indian cricket. Having said that, it’s skills that define a player irrespective of the sarcasm that cynics swear by.
The drama over Samson is in for several twists and turns for sure – a given surrounding the game in the country.
But if RR eventually gives in to Samson’s reluctance to continue, they will then have the arduous task of choosing his successor.
Will they give Parag a prolonged run as a regular skipper? Or should they trade Samson with somebody worth calling the shots?
It’s too early to speculate. But deep down, even a Parag basher would agree that he deserves a chance to prove his mettle donning the captain’s role, albeit not as a stand-in.
RR found going tough in the 2025 season and as discussed before, all wasn’t well both on and off the field.
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Keeping these aberrations in mind, Parag’s maiden outing should not be disparagingly scrutinised.
But you never know! Aren’t we used to welcoming ones not worthy enough?
Fingers crossed? Oh! That’s a dumb question!
